In addition to connecting the cutting wire to form a closed, rotating wire loop for operation in a wire sawing machine, the cutting wire connector serves the purpose of connecting several lengths of cutting wire, as is, for instance, necessary for repairing a broken cutting wire. Particularly, when machining concrete, as is necessary for removing parts of buildings with mobile wire sawing machines, for machining natural stone, and for creating internal contours with stationary wire sawing machines, it is essential to open and close the wire loop quickly, repeatedly, and without any problems, even when no repair work or length adaptations are necessary.
Equally, repeatedly setting, changing, and fixing the turning or twisting angle of the cutting wire along its longitudinal axis, which is made necessary by the normal wear progression of the abrasive coat of the cutting beads, wear that is frequently irregular and not concentric, requires a method of opening and closing the cutting wire connector as fast as possible and without any problems.
The following basic types of wire connectors are available for accomplishing this task: (i) screw-type connectors; (ii) clamping connectors; and (iii) joint connectors.
Clamping the connector parts to the main wire of the cutting wire is a state-of-the-art method for all three main types of connectors. For screw-type and joint connectors the left-handed and right-handed end piece of the connector are clamped to the respective wire end. Opening or closing the wire ends prepared in such a way is carried out by means of a threaded sleeve or an intermediate joint part, respectively.
On plain clamping connectors an undivided sleeve or clamping sleeve is clamped on to the left and right end of the main wire.
While state-of-the-art connections of the ends of cutting wires, namely screw-type, clamping, and joint connectors, offer the advantage of fast and problem-free connection, frequently used in combination with special tools and devices, nevertheless they exhibit in part considerable disadvantages as well. Particularly with screw-type and clamping connectors the wire frequently breaks in the proximity of the entry area of the main wire into the end sleeve or the clamping zone. It is true that the introduction of joint connectors has considerably prolonged the life of cutting wire connectors. However, a further increase in the service life is desirable, especially in connection with mobile wire sawing machines with an increased number of pulleys and a reduced nominal diameter of those pulleys.